You can't change the mistakes you made for love in the past: There's no way to go back and skip that first date with an ex who was bad news from the start. And there's no way to tell the younger version of yourself to slow down and stop jumping from relationship to relationship.
The good news is, you can learn from those mistakes. Just ask HuffPost Divorce readers. Below, our followers on Facebook reflect on the hard-won love and relationship lessons they would pass on to their twenty-something selves.
1. "Don't settle just because you desperately want to have that ideal life with a husband and kids and home. Trust your gut. People most likely won't change." -- Erin Rockford
2. "Don't look for self-validation through the eyes of others." -- Espléndida Mariposa
3. "You set the tone of your relationship while you're dating. If you're always the one to sacrifice while you're dating you'll always be the one to sacrifice when you're married." -- Christina Rodriguez
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5. "Never change yourself for the benefit of a man. If he loves you, he'll love you for who and what you are." -- Wendy Chavez
6. "Enjoy your youth, travel, have friends but don't commit to one love until you have lived some. Just finishing college is not enough living." -- Erin Rockford
7. "Don't get married just because you're sick of dating!" -- Sarah Hoyle
8. "If he treats the waiter like s**t on your dates, run for the hills." -- Lisa Thomson
9. "Don't waste years of your life on something you know is a sinking ship. You can never get that time back." -- Cara Leigh
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11. "If your gut says, 'Run! Run! Run!' then don't think twice -- hightail it out of there and don't look back!" -- Kimberly Ann
12. "Don't be in such a big hurry to find a man and get married. Go ahead and accept your employer's offer of free tuition so you can be a dye lab technician. Earn a decent wage, travel around, do the fun things you once dreamed of doing. If he really loves you, he will wait; if he really loves you, he will respect you as a smart and educated woman." -- M. Evelyn Wake
13. "Don't settle. There will be someone better that comes along. You will not be alone forever and if you are, it will be so much better than spending eternity with someone who can never love you." -- Jillian Therese Godschild
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15. "Follow your heart and instincts, not what everyone else says is 'right.' Also, recognize when he's just not that into you. (My God, I wish that book had been out back then -- it would have saved me a lot of heartache!)" -- Susan O'Brien
16. "Don't be so anxious. The right one will come along. Even if it takes another 28 years and he still hasn't shown up yet, keep the faith." -- Carla Kempert
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